Bidets are standard equipment in parts of Europe, but have never become popular in the United States for some reason. Perhaps it is the inconvenience and additional space required to install a second fixture, in addition to a toilet, that has undermined its popularity. Many think there is a need for a bidet, or at least there is a need felt by a substantial portion of the population as evidenced by the number of United States patents that have been issued, both design and utility, on bidets. The impracticality of many of these designs may also be as an obstacle to the acceptance of the bidet.
The issued patents disclose some bidet units which are original equipment and some that are aftermarket units. The original equipment designs are by and large out of the loop for the average person, who buys a residence, or rents an apartment, in which the plumbing is already installed. To work in the consumer market, a bidet would have to be a retrofitted appliance, sold as a kit to be added on to an existing toilet without need for additional parts or plumbing changes. Low cost and ease of installation would play a crucial role in the success of such a product.
The toilet-retrofit aftermarket models that are represented in the patented art are not solidly mounted to the water closet, or tank, of the toilet. Some that otherwise might be practical have a control valve which is mounted on a loose, flexible line dangling from the water closet, making it difficult to operate. Others fail to conform to a simple installation protocol, giving the appearance of being complicated to produce and difficult to install.
For an aftermarket unit to be practical, it is believed that it should be able to mount on nearly all types of toilets on the market, easy to install, easy to maintain, and have control knobs securely mounted in an easily accessible location.